Education

Archive for the ‘Parliamentary Questions’ Category

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied that the primary school needs of children in the River Valley, Ridgewood and Boroimhe areas of Swords can be met in 2017 and 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

Prior to the conclusion of the enrolment process in the school planning area referred to by the Deputy, representations were made to my Department indicated that there was a shortage of junior infant places for September 2017. At that time my Department, based on demographic information available, projected that 760 junior infant places were required and that the 11 schools enrolling junior infants in the area could facilitate this level of intake. While waiting lists for individual schools seemed to indicate a greater demand than that projected it was understood by my Department that these lists reflected inclusion of pupils on more than one waiting list and also included applications from parents in respect of enrolments in later years, e.g. 2018/19 etc.

I can confirm to the Deputy that the junior infant enrolment in September 2017, in the school planning area referred to was 737. Read More

DÁIL QUESTION addressed to the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Deputy Eoghan Murphy)
by Deputy Clare Daly
for WRITTEN ANSWER on 27/06/2017

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning; Community and Local Government the number of persons being housed in hotel rooms as emergency accommodation; and the progress made to bring to an end the use of hotels for emergency accommodation.

REPLY.
As of the end of April 2017, there were 695 homeless families in Dublin being accommodated in commercial hotels and B&Bs. This total is a considerable reduction on the 871 such families recorded at the end of March. Based on figures provided to my Department by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, over 830 families have exited hotel and B&B arrangements since Rebuilding Ireland was published last July, while over 400 families were prevented from entering hotels by securing new tenancies under the homeless pilot of the Housing Assistance Payment scheme before they had to enter homeless emergency accommodation.

Given the number of exits being achieved by the Dublin housing authorities on an ongoing basis and also the significant volume of new family-oriented supported temporary accommodation coming on stream in the coming weeks, I expect the overall figure for homeless families accommodated in hotel and B&B arrangements to further reduce over the coming period. I have requested that the four Dublin housing authorities continue to treat this as a key priority and while the emphasis must be on exiting as many homeless families as possible, I have requested that any remaining families, other than in exceptional circumstances, are notified by end June of the pathway out of hotels envisaged for them over the coming weeks.

Last week, I announced my intention to make available €10 million for further new family-oriented supported temporary accommodation facilities. Currently, fifteen such facilities are being developed at a total estimated cost of €25 million to provide accommodation for upwards of 600 families. The additional funding will add accommodation for at least another 200 families.

Minister Varadkar avoids a direct answer and instead indicates that over an undefined period only 21 cases can be identified as alleged identity fraud. There is no indication in this answer that anybody whatsoever engaged in dressing up in fake beards to make fraudulent social welfare claims. The Minister engaged in a childish, right wing, stunt to demean and undermine people who claim welfare, in his attempt to appear more right wing than his rival in a FG leadership farce. It is truly pathetic.

To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons reported and charged with making fraudulent claims for social protection payments by disguising their identity with beards or makeup; and the number of these alleged frauds that were reported to An Garda Síochána for each of the years 2014 to 2016. – Clare DalyRead More

To ask the Minister for Finance if he has satisfied himself with the way Revenue Commissioners have applied tax relief at source to mortgages; if he has further satisfied himself that it has been correctly applied in all cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter.